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| Australia coronavirus live update: Victoria reports 149 new Covid cases and 24 deaths as NSW records six cases | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Premier Daniel Andrews urges more Victorians to come forward for testing and Queensland reports one new case. Follow all the latest news and updates, live | |
| ABC Q&A host Hamish Macdonald gets a shout out at the beginning of Wang Xining’s speech - for encouraging him to appear on Australian tv more, following an appearance on Q&A | |
| This press club address may be the closest Australian ministers have been to hearing from the CCP since none of them seem to be able to get their counterpart ministers on the phone. | |
| The national press club address with the deputy head of mission at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Australia is about to begin. | |
| As you can see, diplomacy is very, very subtle. | |
| The Covid response is normalising all sorts of things. | |
| And just repeating – there has been six new cases of Covid recorded in the last 24 hours in NSW – and authorities don’t have a source point as yet, for five of them. | |
| There are 15 hotels in Sydney being used for hotel quarantine, with more than 4,000 returned travellers being held inside. | |
| As Naaman just reported, the Travelodge Wentworth hotel is no longer one of them. | As Naaman just reported, the Travelodge Wentworth hotel is no longer one of them. |
| Mick Fuller: | Mick Fuller: |
| The New South Wales police commissioner, Mick Fuller, has said police themselves requested private security guards should be used as “second-tier” security in hotel quarantine. | The New South Wales police commissioner, Mick Fuller, has said police themselves requested private security guards should be used as “second-tier” security in hotel quarantine. |
| Fuller defended the practice on Wednesday, after nearly 400 people were moved from the Travelodge Wentworth hotel on Tuesday night after police determined the hotel failed to meet the quarantine program’s standards. | Fuller defended the practice on Wednesday, after nearly 400 people were moved from the Travelodge Wentworth hotel on Tuesday night after police determined the hotel failed to meet the quarantine program’s standards. |
| Two security guards at the Sydney Harbour Marriott have so far tested positive for Covid-19, with genomic testing showing it was initially contracted from a returned traveller from the US. | Two security guards at the Sydney Harbour Marriott have so far tested positive for Covid-19, with genomic testing showing it was initially contracted from a returned traveller from the US. |
| Fuller said he still had confidence in the hotel quarantine system and would “audit and find security guards who aren’t up to scratch”. | Fuller said he still had confidence in the hotel quarantine system and would “audit and find security guards who aren’t up to scratch”. |
| Fuller also told reporters that “Every hotel has had a complaint at some stage”, and the volume of complaints rose last week. | Fuller also told reporters that “Every hotel has had a complaint at some stage”, and the volume of complaints rose last week. |
| Many of those comments were from answers to dixers – questions written by the government, with prepared answers. | |
| So those answers, in most of those cases, were prepared. | So those answers, in most of those cases, were prepared. |
| And a bit more: | And a bit more: |
| Peter Dutton: | Peter Dutton: |
| Scott Morrison (again): | Scott Morrison (again): |
| Scott Morrison (and again): | Scott Morrison (and again): |
| It continued: | It continued: |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| Greg Hunt: | Greg Hunt: |
| Just as a reminder, here is some of the comments from question time yesterday. | Just as a reminder, here is some of the comments from question time yesterday. |
| Michael McCormack: | Michael McCormack: |
| Josh Frydenberg: | Josh Frydenberg: |
| Scott Morrison is also claiming that he, and his ministers, did not take pot shots at the Victorian government response yesterday, during question time. | Scott Morrison is also claiming that he, and his ministers, did not take pot shots at the Victorian government response yesterday, during question time. |
| Q: Prime Minister, yesterday you pointed to failures in Victoria on contact tracing, testing and quarantine, who is accountable for those failures? Is it the premier? | Q: Prime Minister, yesterday you pointed to failures in Victoria on contact tracing, testing and quarantine, who is accountable for those failures? Is it the premier? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Q: But won’t there be consequences prime minister where both you and the treasurer take shots at the Victorian government and its premier on the floor of the parliament. The cohesion of national cabinet comes to the fore, doesn’t it? Under that pressure? | Q: But won’t there be consequences prime minister where both you and the treasurer take shots at the Victorian government and its premier on the floor of the parliament. The cohesion of national cabinet comes to the fore, doesn’t it? Under that pressure? |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| The joint standing committee on electoral matters has released its report on the miscellaneous measures bill - which prompted fury among the Senate crossbench and from Queensland Labor over concerns it will water down state donation laws. | The joint standing committee on electoral matters has released its report on the miscellaneous measures bill - which prompted fury among the Senate crossbench and from Queensland Labor over concerns it will water down state donation laws. |
| JSCEM is controlled by the Coalition, with Liberal James McGrathin the chair, so it’s unsurprising the majority report calls for the bill to be passed. | JSCEM is controlled by the Coalition, with Liberal James McGrathin the chair, so it’s unsurprising the majority report calls for the bill to be passed. |
| The Greens have dissented, warning that money can easily flow between state and federal purposes within a party branch, practically defeating state donation bans on developers. They called for separate bank accounts for federal and state purposes and to repeal the bill’s sections that would provide immunity from penalties for prohibited donors who give to a state branch for a federal purpose. | The Greens have dissented, warning that money can easily flow between state and federal purposes within a party branch, practically defeating state donation bans on developers. They called for separate bank accounts for federal and state purposes and to repeal the bill’s sections that would provide immunity from penalties for prohibited donors who give to a state branch for a federal purpose. |
| Labor’s report is very nuanced - it is presented as a “dissenting report” but recommends the bill be passed if a few amendments are made: | Labor’s report is very nuanced - it is presented as a “dissenting report” but recommends the bill be passed if a few amendments are made: |
| Postponing the commencement until after the Queensland election; and | Postponing the commencement until after the Queensland election; and |
| Requiring parties to maintain separate bank accounts. | Requiring parties to maintain separate bank accounts. |
| The Labor members said: | The Labor members said: |
| So federal Labor accepts that only commonwealth law should apply to donations for federal purposes, but Queensland Labor disagrees and thinks the state laws banning developer donations in the state for all purposes should apply. | So federal Labor accepts that only commonwealth law should apply to donations for federal purposes, but Queensland Labor disagrees and thinks the state laws banning developer donations in the state for all purposes should apply. |
| I think that means the bill is very likely to pass – but I’ll contact the government to see what they think of Labor amendments. | I think that means the bill is very likely to pass – but I’ll contact the government to see what they think of Labor amendments. |
| Victoria police has dished out nearly 20,000 fines for Covid-19 breaches during the pandemic, an inquiry has been told. | Victoria police has dished out nearly 20,000 fines for Covid-19 breaches during the pandemic, an inquiry has been told. |
| Lisa Neville, the police minister, told the Covid-19 inquiry on Wednesday police had issued 19,324 fines, including 1,669 for failing to wear a mask and 2,145 to those breaching the state curfew.There were 5,761 fines for “non-compliance of directions” and 20 fines were issued for people failing to self-isolate. | Lisa Neville, the police minister, told the Covid-19 inquiry on Wednesday police had issued 19,324 fines, including 1,669 for failing to wear a mask and 2,145 to those breaching the state curfew.There were 5,761 fines for “non-compliance of directions” and 20 fines were issued for people failing to self-isolate. |
| Daniel Andrews is asked about these comments from Scott Morrison: | Daniel Andrews is asked about these comments from Scott Morrison: |
| Andrews: | Andrews: |
| Daniel Andrews is asked whether or not he would have supported legislation like this when he was opposition leader (which was six years ago). | Daniel Andrews is asked whether or not he would have supported legislation like this when he was opposition leader (which was six years ago). |
| Who wants the legislation to extend the state of emergency declaration in Victoria? | Who wants the legislation to extend the state of emergency declaration in Victoria? |
| Daniel Andrews: | Daniel Andrews: |